Another Familiar Face
by phantomhivelover17
Summary: It was another normal day for Ed as he walked through the streets of Munich. That was, until he ran into somebody. Roy Mustang but not the Flame Alchemist. No not that Roy. It was Roy's double. The one that resided on this side of the gate. (RoyEd, Conqueror of Shamballa)
1. Meeting Him

**Okay, so here's my newest fanfiction so I decided to post it on here. I think I made Ed a bit young in this. It takes place after Conqueror of Shamballa.**

The cold, winter air chilled the bones of the golden haired young adult as he walked home from his new job down at the marketplace. Germany had fallen cold quite quickly this fall and progressed horribly into a nasty winter. The chilliness hit Mr. Edward Elric like a ton of bricks every time he stepped outside, but he wasn't able to stay cooped up like a hermit crab. He had to take care of his younger brother, who was only thirteen. Well he was thirteen again.

It was only months ago when Ed had left his world for a second time with Al so he could close the gate on the other side. But...

It felt like years.

Ed had to leave one person behind. Someone very important to him. He never even got to reveal his true feelings to the man before he left. He never really got to say goodbye. It was one last glance at each other and then back into the portal Ed went.  
Roy Mustang. Just thinking the name sent made Ed depressed. He missed the charcoal eyed alchemist. He just wanted to see him one last time.

Edward continued to walk down the street, sighing. His sigh came out as a silvery mist of air. He really didn't like being cold. It was an annoying pain and it made this new automail of his freeze up even if he was dressed in a warm coat and thick pants. He knew if he didn't get home soon, he would surely come down with some sort of sickness.

"Hey kid," a familiar voice called from behind. He knew that voice. Oh, yes, he definitely knew that voice. "you're gonna catch a cold if you stay outside in this weather."

"Mustang...?" Ed mumbled as he turned around to see the person. Black hair, black eyes, that smug smile. It was him. It had to be. "Colonel, is that you?"

The man instantly had a confused look on his face. "Colonel? I think you have me confused with someone else. I'm not in the military."

Ed felt horror creep up inside him. Not this again. No. Not this. Please not with Roy. His eyes filled with utter despair and his heart hurt in chest. "I never thought I'd meet his double," he mumbled under his breath before looking the man in the eyes. "Sorry, I did have you confused with an old friend of mine. He looked just like you."

"An old friend?" the double asked, his lips curling into a small smirk. "From the way you just reacted, it seems like he was your lover."

Ed's face turned a light pink as he thought of Roy being his lover. His devastation disappeared as he was distracted by the thought. "N-no he was just an old friend. That's it. Really."

"Whatever you say. Oh and by the way" the man held out his right hand to Ed. "My name's Roy Mustang."

"I kn- I mean um, nice to meet you," Ed felt close to dead on the inside as he reached out and shook Roy's hand. "I'm Edward Elric."

Roy smiled and pulled his hand back. Mustang had a weird feeling about this kid. He knew for a fact that he had never met him before in his life, but he felt he did know him and he even felt he could trust him. "Edward, huh? Well Edward, you look cold. My house is right up here. Wanna stay a while to warm up a bit?"

"Uh, well I-" Edward wanted to come up with a good excuse, but really couldn't. Al was used to him getting home late and no one else was expecting to see him. While Ed wanted to say no, he just couldn't. Just the way Roy said his name caused his heart to pound, he wouldn't dare say no to him. "Um yeah. Sounds good, thanks."

"No problem, kid," Roy said as he began to walk past Edward to his house. "Come on."

Ed began to follow him down the street. "Hey and by the way, Mustang. I'm not a kid. I'm eighteen." He said, crossing his arms. "So definitely not a kid."

"You're eighteen?" Roy asked, smirking a bit. He didn't know why, but he could just sense Ed had a temper about his height. "I couldn't tell. You're pretty small for your age."

"Don't. Call. Me. Small," Ed growled as his anger rose up in seconds. Even this Roy makes fun of my height? Seriously!?

Roy chuckled as he realized he was right. "Whatever you say, Edward." Then he stopped walking at a house on the street corner and began climbing the three stepped stairs to the door which only took seconds.

"Is this where you live?" Ed asked, stopping on the street. The place looked nice from the outside, which is surprising considering how bad the economy was then and considering how Roy didn't look german at all and with all the racism that was going around, it would be hard for him to find good work. What is he rich in this world or something?

"I know what you're thinking," Roy said as he unlocked the front door with a key he had pulled out from his jacket pocket. "But no, I'm not wealthy." The lock clicked and Roy pulled out the key. "This place used to be my father's. He passed it down to me after he passed."

"Your father?" Ed asked. He was curious. He didn't know anything about the other Roy's bloodline and that made him wonder.

"Well, my adoptive father," Roy said, being a bit more open than he usually would be with strangers. He slipped his key back into his coat pocket and opened the door. He motioned for Ed to go inside. "Come on in."

Ed nodded and stepped inside. He was even more surprised because of the inside. The front hallway was very nice and clean looking. The walls were an egg white color and it had a nice and not tacky decor. It was not what Ed had imagined when he thought "Roy's house".

Roy came in behind. "Come on, I'll get a fire going in the living room fireplace. You can get warmed up in there."  
This Roy that Ed had just met was being strangely nice compared to the Roy he knew in Amestris. It was strange. But, then again, this Roy didn't know him at all.

"Uh, alright," was all Ed could manage. He couldn't believe that Roy's double was just letting him into his home.

"It's right in here," Roy put a hand on Ed's back to help guide him there. The contact obviously didn't affect Mustang as much as it did Ed.  
Ed jumped a bit and his heart thudded against his chest. His body tensed slightly as he began to walk to where the living room is supposed to be. This was beginning to be too much for him. After not being around Roy... his Roy... for so long, this new Mustang just made things confusing for him. He was both devastated and overjoyed. This Roy didn't know him, but Ed still got to see him and he could physically touch him.

"You alright?" Roy asked, sensing that something was wrong. He quickly removed his hand, thinking that he had caused Ed to be uncomfortable.

"U-uh yeah," Ed stammered out quickly. He wasn't really lying, but it seemed like he was. "I'm fine."

Roy sighed a bit as they made it to the living room. "Alright a seat." he motioned to a couch that looked old, but seemed underused.

Ed nodded a "thanks" and sat down on the couch. It was an actually pretty comfortable and Ed liked it. As he looked at Roy, who was starting a fire in the fireplace, a smile creeped up on his face. _He may not be the Roy I know, but... he's still Roy. And that's all that matters... right?_


	2. Finally Getting Home

Ed had stayed there a lot longer than he planned. A couple of hours. About halfway through, he had asked to use a phone so he could tell Al where he was. It was actually a very comfortable stay. Roy had even gone and made some nice warm tea for them to drink.

Being around him made Ed feel a strange happiness inside. It was like he had gotten back what he had lost, but it came back a bit faulty. The man he had met was Roy, but it was just the version of Roy that didn't know Ed at all.

He even acted like Roy, but not entirely. Well, he didn't act like the big and proud colonel who just wanted to show off around his lower subordinate. He acted like, well what Ed would describe as, a nice person. He was being kind instead of obnoxious. Ed actually liked it.  
And Roy even seemed a bit worried about Ed. He didn't want the kid to walk home in the cold. It was like he was trying to keep Ed there as long as possible so he wouldn't have to worry. When Ed finally said that he should go, he could tell Roy didn't want to let him do so. As it got darker, the outside world got even more cold. By the time he left, Ed really had to force himself outside. Into the the cold. Away from the warmth. Away from Roy.

Before he left, he gave Roy his telephone number. Mainly because Roy requested that he did. Mustang took a liking to Ed. He thought the kid was bright and entertaining. But there was also something strange about him.

The way he looked at Roy, his eyes seemed to be bright, but depressed at the same time. Edward talked with such ease around him. And the way he talked, it was like Edward knew him, but Roy was positive he didn't.

He had never seen the kid before today, but it seemed like Ed had seen him a million times. After the first hour, Ed was acting like they had been friends for years. It was strange, but not necessarily bad. Roy liked the fact he could just talk to him like a friend, not a stranger.

So when Ed had left, all Roy did was worry. He couldn't understand why he worried so much over a kid he just met today, but he was. He made sure to let Ed use one of his old coats as an extra layer because of the cold air. He could tell Ed didn't like the cold at all and Roy didn't want him to freeze on his way home.

Edward, at nine o'clock at night, finally got to his small home that was placed on the edge of Munich. His younger brother was sitting comfortably on the couch in the living room reading one of his favorite fantasy novels. Ever since Al had come to this side of the gate, he seemed to always be lost in a book about magic.

Once Ed closed the wooden door behind and it made a click, Al looked up and smiled. His smile was innocent, but his eyes were filled with millions of questions. Ed slipped off both of the thin jackets he had and hung up one, the one that was his, on the coat rack and just slipped the other back on. Taking off the coats made him cold, so he put the thicker one back on. Or that's what he told himself at least. He wanted to believe that it was only coincidental it was Roy's coat he slipped on.

"You were out late," Al said, knowing that Ed was with a friend, but he didn't know the friend's identity. "So... Can I know who you were with? Please?"

Also since the time Al and Ed returned, the brothers had become much closer. So, instead of hiding who he had been with, he plopped down on the couch next to his brother. "I'm gonna tell you, but bet you money you don't believe me."

Al then got excited, knowing whoever it was, it was really going to surprise him. Just by the look on Ed's face. "Come on, just tell me already!"

"Alright, alright." Ed looked down a bit with a small smile. "It was Mustang. Roy Mustang."

"Wait you mean the colonel!?" Al was completely shocked. More shocked than he thought he would be. "How did he get here? Didn't we close the gate?"

Ed shook his head no. The thought about the real Roy made his heart begin to ache a bit, "It was a different Mustang. Remember how we saw Hughes and Gracia? It was like that. He just acted different than the Mustang we knew. Not entirely different but different."

"Are you serious?" the brunette boy was seemingly still in a state of shock. When Ed nodded, Al just fell into a fit of giggles. "So because it was Mustang... You decided to stay there for like the entire night?"

Ed's face turned red instantly. He didn't really understand why. It wasn't his Roy, but he still felt like this because of him? "W-well I didn't want to stay there... But it was so warm and I don't think he wanted me to leave."

"Why did you go with him anyway?" Al asked, still giggling a bit at the beginning of his question. "You technically don't even know him. It's not the colonel."

"Yeah, yeah," Ed sighed and leaned back into the dark colored couch cushion. His mind was solely focused on Roy and the jacket he had covering him didn't help. The jacket, while reminding him the man's kindness, also reminded him how Roy is just that much bigger than him. The sleeves hung halfway down his fingers and if Ed stood up, the coat would go past his hips. "but he seemed so much like him. I mean he looks exactly like him- except he didn't have an eyepatch- and he even cracked a few short jokes."

Al had a smile super glued to his face. He already knew that Ed had a major crush on the colonel. It ended up being painfully obvious. He always pretended to dread seeing him, but Ed hadn't been truly happy since they left Amestris for the last time. Not until today, that is. Al could clearly see the happiness in his brother's eyes. "Sounds like Mustang," he laughed.

"Yeah..." Ed said looking away from Al. His eyes averted to the wall as his mind began to wander into thoughts about everything that had happened today.

He had just begun to space out when the sound of a telephone ringing snapped him out of it. He was a bit confused. Who could that be?

"I'll get it!" Al jumped up, like he always did when the phone rang, and rang into the hall where the phone sat on a small table. He quickly picked it up and put it to his ear. "Hello?" he said in that sweet little kid tone he gets when he talks to strangers. A small grin spread across his face when he heard who was on the other side. "No, this is his brother, Al." That's the moment Ed got curious. "Alright let me go get him."

Ed stood up, knowing he was going to get called in there. His curiosity caused him to go in the hall in seconds. "Who is it?"

Al held out the phone to his older brother. "Don't know. But it sounds like you-know-who," Al answered implying it was Roy. He winked at his brother and giggled as Ed took the phone and put it too his ear. Ed again turned red and then sighed, happy Roy couldn't see him over the phone.

"Hello?"


	3. Making Plans

Turns out, the call was from Mr. Mustang. He had called to make sure Edward had gotten home. Ed was probably just the happiest person in the world because of the fact Mustang could not see his crimson blush that was painted across his face.

The two talked on the phone for a little while. In the process they even made plans to hang out the next day. Their friendship had formed really fast. A lot faster than most. It was probably strange to Roy, but Edward knew that they would probably click like he had done with the other Mustang.

At some point, Ed caught himself talking to him as though he was the colonel. Ed tried to avoid doing that, but he should have just realized that it was just an impossible thing to not do. Mustang acted too much like the real Mustang. Well, both of them were real, but one Ed had known in his world.

There was one huge difference between his relationship with Roy and the one he had with the colonel. There was no pressure. At all. Roy wasn't Edward's boss and Ed wasn't his lower subordinate. Roy had no need to show off. Well, that is unless he wanted to seem like the "cool guy" around Ed.

"Well see you tomorrow," Ed said with a bit of a tired voice. He knew right after this would be bedtime for him.

"Goodnight, Edward," Mustang's voice said clearly from the other side of line. He could hear the sleepiness in Ed's tone.

"G'night," Ed then hung up the phone and let out a sigh. He really didn't know what to make of the day's events. He loved that he met the Roy, but he was also hurting inside from his memories of his Roy. The one from his world.

When Ed stepped back into the living room, the first thing he saw was a teenager fast asleep on the couch with a book left open on the floor. The blonde boy smiled and then left the room for a moment. When he came back, he had a soft blanket which he laid over his brother. He didn't want to disturb his sleep.

After that, Ed went to his bedroom upstairs and slipped off his shoes and undid his ponytail. Then, he just laid down, not even bothering to change into pajamas... or take off Roy's navy blue jacket. He curled up under the blanket and buried his face in the extra fabric of the coat.

A familiar scent filled his nostrils and he smiled without knowing he did. His eyes soon closed and in less than a minute, he had fallen a smile on his face and Roy on his mind.

****

The next morning, Ed was awoken by his younger brother who was grinning from ear to ear. He had obviously noticed that his brother had fallen asleep with a coat on. He knew that the jacket wasn't Ed's and he thought it was adorable Ed was wearing Roy's jacket still. "Ed, time to get up!"

"Don' wanna yet," Ed mumbled into his pillow. Throughout the night he had shifted to a facedown position on his bed and his blanket had made its way to a pile on the floor.

"Come on, brother. don't you have a date to get ready for?" Al said with a giggle."You don't wanna be late, right?"

Ed bounced up instantly. "How did you know-!?" he started before he realized what Al had been saying. A blush rose to his face and flamed up on his cheeks. "Hey, wait! It's not a date!"

"But it got you up," Al laughed and then gave his older brother a poke to the shoulder. "Real easily too! You bounced up in seconds." Then he saw the blush and laughed even harder. "And you're all red too!"

"Shut it, Al!" Ed's hands moved to his face to cover the redness. "Get out. I need to get ready."

"Ready for you da-"

"Don't even say it!"

"Okay, okay," Al put up his hands up defensively and then quickly backed out of the room, leaving Ed alone. But, as soon he got out of hearing range, he began to laugh.

Ed groaned, not wanting to get up. He knew he had to though. He didn't want to be late for meeting Roy. Glancing at a clock, he saw the hour hand on the ten and the minute one resting on the six. "Ten thirty?" He remembered he had to meet Roy at noon. "An hour and half until then..."

Then he sighed and got out of bed. He decided that first he would take a nice shower then get ready from there. As he stepped out of his room, he heard Al -from all the way upstairs- giggling like crazy. His face quickly turned a light shade of red once again.

He slipped into the bathroom silently -also known as "like a ninja"- and looked in the mirror. His blonde hair was messy and he still had a tired look in his eyes. He looked down at the jacket in the mirror. It was a dark navy color and was made from a soft, but tough fabric that probably wouldn't tear easily. He smiled, knowing that Roy probably looked great in this when he wore it.

He practically slapped himself after that thought. What the hell am I thinking? Then he stopped and thought about it for a moment. Well he is good looking. I can't deny that I guess. I already admitted that fact to myself about the colonel and they look the same.

He was easily distracted by his thoughts, as he's noticed over quickly snapped out of his deep thinking and got undressed to take a shower.

His showers usually lasted much longer than ten minutes, but today he was a bit too excited to dwell in his questions for life during a long steaming shower. He could do that again some other day.

After his short shower, he went to his room and slipped on a warm outfit and then he again zipped Roy's jacket over his clothes. It still smelled like Roy to him and he loved the scent, though he'd probably never verbally admit that fact. Especially not to someone like Al.

Now, he sat in the living room waiting for a good time on the clock to appear so he could go and meet with Roy. He didn't want to be too early or too late. He also didn't want to seem desperate to Roy, even though he was. He was desperate to see the man, talk to him, do anything with him. But, even though he felt like this, he didn't want to admit it because this wasn't his Roy. It was a different man. Well mostly.


	4. Working Siblings

Edward and Mustang met at a small cafe near the middle of Munich. It was a nice place and Roy seemed to know the owners which made the visit seem maybe three times more enjoyable for Ed. The friendliness made Ed comfortable with being here with Roy. Well for the first five minutes.

"Order whatever you like," A young, white haired waitress who went by the name of Lucy smiled at the two of them even though she was only talking to Roy. "It's on the house. For you and your date." She winked and giggled a bit.

Ed's eyebrow twitched very slightly. He just met this girl and she already reminded him of his younger brother. Maybe he should introduce them. "I'm not his date," he grumbled as he crossed his arms. Why are these people so okay with guys liking guys? Isn't that bad or something?

"I don't know, Edward..." A smirk spread across the face of the man sitting in the seat across from him. "To others it might seem that way. You know I did ask you out and all."

In seconds a blush crept onto the alchemist's cheeks and he went completely silent. He wasn't quiet because he was embarrassed, no, it was because he couldn't think of any words to respond with. He had never went through something like this with, well a Roy, until now. Him and the colonel scarcely saw each other out of the office.

Roy couldn't help but laugh at the red-faced Ed. He then turned to the waitress and smiled, "Thank you, Lucy. But for right now, could you just bring over some water? I think shortstuff over there needs some time to decide what he'll be eating."

"Alright." Lucy had that fake nice tone in her voice. Ed could tell she didn't like being a waitress. She probably just needed the money. "I'll be right back with your water."

"Hey, I'm not short," Ed said with a bit of annoyance weaved into his tone and pouty glare. "I'm a normal height for my age."

"Keep telling yourself that, kid," Mustang joked. It was easy to tell he wasn't serious because of his infamous smirk that could easily be found at almost all times on his face. "It's good to know you have a vast imagination, though."

"Haha, funny," Ed countered with a tone that showed he obviously not amused -which was the complete opposite of how Mustang was feeling- and his glare intensified slightly. He then added with more than a dash of sarcasm, "You should be a comedian. You'd be a star, Musty."

Roy began to pretend he was really thinking about it. "That's a great plan, Elric." Then came his little joke, "Hey, you're pretty good, too. How 'bout you write my material?"

"I'm not gonna write you some short jokes," Ed said will a bit of a growl sliding into his voice. He was obviously frustrated with Roy and he had a slight bit of hatred flaming. The hatred wasn't permanent. It would last five minutes. Maybe even six if Roy keeps this up.

"Alright, alright," Mustang chuckled giving his golden haired friend a sly smile. "I just thought you would be good at it. Seeing how you're so sho-"

"Don't. Say. It." Edward's glare couldn't harden anymore. His face was glowing in complete frustration and annoyance. Then a sigh found itself escaping his lips. He couldn't stay mad at this guy. And anyway, he should be a bit more merciful, seeing how he really just met him the day before. "I'm very sensitive about my height, Mustang. Keep that in mind."

Roy had the most amused smirk sitting casually on his pale face. "I can tell. You've got such a short temper, you know that?" He was actually aiming on annoying his little angry friend. "Most don't get so mad so easily over the plain truth."

A low growl formed in the back of Ed's throat. Dammit he knows just how to piss me off. "Shut your mouth, bastard." Before Roy could make a comeback, a new and unfamiliar voice interupted the two of them.

"Aw, is the couple arguing?" The childish voice asked loudly . A pair of thin arms wrapped around Ed's shoulders from behind and caused him to tense in seconds. "You shouldn't fight with Roy, you know. He'll always win."

"I see you're feeling better, Alexander," the man who supposedly always wins stated simply. He obviously knew this kid, but Ed seemed to already dislike him.

The arms suddenly disappeared and a boy with snow white hair and a big smile appeared beside the table. "Yup, I'm right as rain." Even his dark eyes seemed to be grinning. "And I couldn't help notice the new girl you brought for lunch today. She's cute!"

Ed's hands clenched into a fist and his teeth clashed together in anger. He couldn't really yell at the kid for the mistake but it really pushed his buttons. "Sorry to disappoint you, kid, but I'm definitely not female."

"Oh... really?" Alexander really did look surprised. Either this boy was a great actor or he was just really naive. "Huh. I didn't know you liked guys, Roy! Hm, well maybe you thought that he was a girl, too. His hair is all long and stuff."

"I think you have the wrong idea, Ale-" Roy tried to say before he was interrupted by the boy's co-worker.

"Alexander, you just get back to work and you're already stirring up trouble?" Lucy had a sincere tone of scolding shining in her voice. Even though she was waggling a scolding finger in the kids face with one hand, she kept a tray that held two cups of ice water balanced with the other. "Mom would be so disappointed."

Alexander's expression changed instantly. He began to look very regretful for what he had done to upset his older sister. "Sorry, Luce. I was just having a bit of fun."

The girl sighed. "Just get back to the kitchen, okay?" She then, as if saying 'no buts about it', turned away from him and began to set the two glasses down on the table. "Anyway, have the two of you decided what you're going to eat?"

As Alexander left, Roy answered her question, "Well, I know I'm going to have the usual." He then glanced at Ed. "I don't know about him though."

"Uh," Ed hadn't even gotten a chance to glance at the menu while she was gone. Roy had distracted him with their argument. "Well.." He pointed at something random under the 'Wurst' section. He did like sausage. "I'll just take that."

Lucy scribbled down their order on a pad of paper. "Alright. I'll be back with your food in a bit." She turned and went back to the kitchen, taking her carrying tray with her.

Ed watched as she left. When she got to the kitchen, she was bombarded by her younger brother who decided to annoy her instead of costumers. Ed looked back towards Mustang. "What's with those two? Lucy looks like she's only fifteen and Alexander looks even younger... Why are they working at a place like this?"

Roy's eyes seemed to darken from a bad memory. "They don't have parents. Their mother and father died a couple of years ago in a house fire. Ever since Lucy's worked here everyday trying to make money so they can both eat."  
Ed's heart caught in his throat and he glanced at the quarreling siblings. At least in this world they can't try to bring them back. Edward clenched his automail hand and sighed. "That's terrible."

"I know," Roy sat back in his diner chair, sighing as he did so. "And waitresses don't make much. All the money she makes is from tips and people scarcely have that sort of money to part with."

"So they're just barely scraping by." Ed should've noticed before, but he was too oblivious. The boys cheeks were sunken and his waist was too thin and the girl seemed to have the same problem and a couple of violet circles under her eyes suggested she rested barely at all.

Roy just nodded, knowing that saying anything else would just bring the mood down further. The two of them sat in silence until the food came. Ed was sort of in a daze, thinking about the kids and how he wanted to help them while Roy was just watching Ed and studying his facial expressions as he thought.

* * *

-Le author speaking- Thank you to anyone who's reading! I really appreciate it. Just so you know, the beginning of the chapter was inspired by the show Sherlock.


	5. Walking Home With Company

"I couldn't ask you to do that. I can make it home myself."

"No, no. I want to walk you there personally. Otherwise, I'd be sitting here worrying."

"You just want to know where I live." Ed had his arms crossed stubbornly. He was, for the second time, hanging out at Roy's home. They had decided to go there after their "date". Ed was standing by the door, readying himself to leave.

"Well it would be nice to know that information," Roy shrugged, not denying Ed's accusation. He was standing stubbornly in front of the door so the boy couldn't leave. "but I really do want to make sure you get home safe."

Ed let out a loud sigh. "Alright fine." His arms uncrossed and fell to his sides. "But only because you won't let me leave by myself."

"Good," Roy turned towards the door and twisted the knob, pulling it open. He then held out his hand to Ed and smirked. "Let's get going."

Ed's felt his face heat up as blush spread across his cheeks. Instead of accepting the gesture like he really, really wanted to, he just pushed past Roy and went outside. It pissed him off that Roy was still picking on him about the date thing.

Ed's reaction made Roy laugh softly. The black haired man turned and followed Edward, closing the door behind him. "Hey wait up, shorty!"

Edward, who was already halfway down the street, turned around and glared at the man. He waited until the bastard was beside him to start walking again. "You know I'd get home faster if I weren't walking with you."

"Oh yeah?" Roy looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "How so?"

"Well," Ed was clenching and unclenching his automail fingers as they walked. He had forgotten to oil them the night before and they were starting to cramp up. "For one, I'd be walking a lot faster. Right now I have to be slow so you can keep up, old man."

"I'd be able to beat you in a race anytime, shorty," Roy shot back at the blonde with his signature smug smirk painted onto his face. It was like a smirk could always be found in that one particular spot.

"Doubt it," Ed almost laughed as if Roy made a joke but then he stopped and realized what Roy had called him. "I am not short goddammit!"

Roy chuckled softly, sighing afterward. Ed watched as smoke-like mist escaped from Roy's mouth and he smiled to himself. It was a bit quiet after that, but not awkwardly quiet. Just.. quiet. It was soothing actually. Walking through the wintry streets of Munich with a man who was the spitting image of what he loved most in world was nice.

It wasn't until they were only a block away when Roy spoke up again. Ed had just been watching each puff of warm air that had escaped his lips float into the air while thinking and wasn't really expecting to start a conversation. So, when Roy came out and talked, he was a bit surprised.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Uh, sure," Ed had to quickly snap back into reality. His mind, still being a bit off in a daydream, wasn't quite ready to make deductions on what Roy was going to ask about. His brain left him clueless.

Roy tapped Ed's jacket-covered shoulder with his index finger. "This. I let you wear it yesterday. Why're you still wearing it? It's pretty big on you."

Ed's brow furrowed in confusion for a second before he actually realized what Roy was talking about. "Oh um," he looked down at the sleeves, which were pushed up so they wouldn't mess with what he had to do, and then a light rose colored blush crept onto his face. "Well, my other jacket isn't as warm as this one and it's cold out. And it's comfy."

"Really?" Roy had an I-don't-believe-you tone ringing in his voice and he was eying Ed's new cheek color. "It must be too warm. You're getting so hot, your face is turning red."

The rosy tint deepened into a scarlet color, getting darker as it was mentioned. Ed could feel the heat radiating from his face by then. He glanced away, feeling silly for blushing over something so small. "Idiot.." he mumbled, making sure to keep his eyes locked on the sidewalk.

Roy heard the boy's muttering and laughed. "What? Did I get it wrong?" He asked, enjoying himself. Picking on little Edward, what fun. "There's a different reason your face is like that? Hmmm, please do tell."

"You should know why," Ed said in a shy, quiet voice. "It's kind of obvious, Mustang. I know for a fact you're not that naive."

"You're right," Roy's arm snaked around Ed's shoulders and he gave him a smile, not a smirk, a smile. "I'm not."

Ed's eyes widened slightly in surprise and his blush began to spread further. He stopped walking, shocked. "Wh-what are you-?"

"And my guess is right isn't it?" Roy asked leaning in close to the boy's face. "You're blushing because of me. Because you like me, right?"

Ed quickly jumped away from him. His mind was quickly sucked into a memory of the old days when he'd deny that he liked the colonel. He had admitted he loved that Roy to himself, but with this one, the denial still ran deep. "N-no way! I don't like you! That's crazy!"

"It's apparently not that crazy," Roy shrugged. "You should see how red you are." He raised his hand to Ed's face, his fingertips lightly touching Ed's cheek.

The blonde flinched a bit at the touch. His heart was racing faster than it ever had before and he could barely breathe. "I-I.." He tried to form words but he couldn't think of anything. The only thing he could do is tell the truth... but what really was the truth? "Y-you're right. You're completely right."

"Thought so." Roy leaned down and kissed Ed's cheek very softly before straightening back out and beginning to walk away. "Come on. Let's get you home."

Ed's eyes went as wide as they could go and his hand flew to his cheek. He stared at the man who was now walking away from him. It took him a few seconds, but he began to follow. Both his mind and heart were still racing as he walked next to Roy.

The rest of their walk only lasted a few minutes and it felt even shorter now that Ed wanted it to last much longer. He didn't want to say goodbye even if the goodbye wouldn't be forever.

He stopped at the door of his house and sighed. "Well this is it." He looked at Roy, slightly still embarrassed about the scene that played only minutes before. "See you later." He began to turn around to open the door when a hand landed on his shoulder.

"One more thing."

"Huh?" Ed turned back towards the man, not expecting what came next.

Lips touched his own and a pair of arms pulled him closer to the strong man. His eyes went wide at first, but slowly closed slowly. Sparks ran through his body and his stomach did flips inside him. The kiss only lasted seconds but left Ed in a daze.

When Roy pulled away, it took Ed a second or two to realize that he did. His eyes opened and he stared at the man with utter disbelief shining on his face. Was this more than simple flirting for Roy, too?

"Later, Edward," was the last thing Roy said before he left Ed standing there. He was turning the corner before Ed was able to regain himself enough to head back inside.

As soon as Roy was out of sight, Ed turned and went into his home where his nosy brother was waiting for a detailed recollection of the entire "date". Ed knew the questions were coming and prepared himself for the assault.


	6. Told You So

As the week passed, Ed learned more and more about the new Roy. He found out that the man actually did have a job. He was a chemistry professor at a college here in Munich and a very popular one, too. Students tended to like the younger professors and Roy was too lazy to be strict. It was surprising to Ed that he had a job like that, but it made enough sense. Roy was never bad at his elements.

For the past seven days, the two had both continued to see eachother everyday. Even on the days that Ed or Roy had to work, the other would wait for the working one to come home and then drop by. It didn't matter what they did, but it did matter that they did it together.

Today they were keeping it nice and simple. Ed was laying on the couch, his head propped comfortably in Roy's lap. He was reading one of the textbooks from Roy's class -Ed had requested he'd bring one home for him- and really just relearning what he already knew. Also, he didn't really pay attention to it but, something was trying to distract him.

Roy's fingers were running through Ed's long and beautiful golden hair. The man had convinced Ed into taking out his ponytail by claiming that he'd be more comfortable. Roy thought he looked adorable with his hair down and loved playing with the blonde strands of hair.

His dark eyes were fixed on Ed's face, watching him as he read. The kid's love for reading was completely obvious. Roy could be talking right now and Ed wouldn't even hear him nor really care. He was completely indulged in this textbook.

'If only I could get my students to study like that.' Roy thought, still watching Ed calmly. This could last for hours and neither of them would get bored and neither of them would want to move at all.

And it would've lasted that long if Ed's eyelids hadn't began to droop. He felt comfortable and warm, but also there was something else. A weird dizziness had formed in his mind. He closed the textbook, but tried to keep his eyes open for a bit longer. Sleep did sound nice, though.

Roy instantly noticed his sleepiness and smiled a bit. He continued to stroke Ed's silky hair, willing him to fall asleep. Roy knew the kid would pass out soon. It was inevitable.

Ed tried his hardest to keep himself awake just for a little while longer, but he was much too sleepy to keep that up. And the fact Roy was playing with his hair didn't help much either. It was pulling him more towards sleep then away from it.

Soon, his eyes fluttered closed and he fell into a deep sleep, just like Roy knew he would. Once Roy was sure Ed was asleep, he slowly got himself off the couch. Looking at Ed as he slept, Roy couldn't help but notice how adorable he was asleep. He seemed so peaceful like that.

Roy decided that if Ed were going to sleep comfortably, he'd have to move him. He didn't know about Ed, but sleeping on a couch always gave him this pain in his neck that made it impossible to move his head. He didn't want that to happen to Ed.

He slowly slid one arm under Ed's knees and the other went around the boy's shoulders. Roy was careful not to wake him as he lifted him from the couch. Holding Ed almost like a baby, the man carried him into the bedroom -Roy's bedroom- and laid him down on the bed.

As soon as he was on the bed, as if he was aware of moving, Ed stretched out as far as he could and ended up taking up more than half of the space on the large bed. A dreamy smile curled onto his lips and he relaxed.

Ed looked so vulnerable and innocent like that, Roy couldn't help but just look him for a few more moments. Roy was no stranger to feelings like this, he'd had his share of relationships, but they came so quickly this time. It was like getting caught in a sudden windstorm. He felt he finally understood the concept of "love at first sight".

He pulled a blanket over the boy's slender body and kissed his forehead. That's when he felt the little bit of heat emitting from him on his lips. 'A fever?' He shrugged it off, thinking Edward was just a little sick from the cold. He was probably just going to sleep it off.

Roy left the room to go call Alphonse and tell him that his brother fell asleep and may not be coming home that night and to ask him to come to his house so that the thirteen year old wouldn't be left home alone.

Later that night, Edward awoke to a pair of lips touching his forehead. They were soft and gentle. It was as if he were five again and his mother was checking temperature. He heard some words but his mind was too fuzzy to even begin to translate them into something he could understand. "Huh?"

This time the voice sounded much clearer as it spoke. It also sounded worried. Very, very worried. "Your fever got worse." He heard a sigh. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Fever?" It was the only word processed by Edward's mind. He opened his eyes and he saw a blurred version of Roy standing above him. He blinked a couple times, trying to clear his vision. "What are you talking about?"

A hand was placed on his forehead. It was only then he realized how distant and tired he felt. His body just didn't want to move at all. It didn't have the energy to move. He let his eyes close, knowing his mind and body just wanted to rest.

"Edward," the voice sounded like it wanted to say something but wasn't exactly sure how. Then a small laugh cut through the tense silence that had formed. "I told you that you'd get sick walking around in the cold."

A sleepy smile formed on his face as he remembered that time when he and Roy first met. He felt a need to correct him. "You said I'd 'catch a cold' not a fever, Musty." Even in sickness he still knew how to be a smartass.

"Ah, right," even though Roy acted like he wasn't internally freaking out, his worry leaked into his voice. "Well, even though it's a fever, you should give me credit. I told you to make sure you weren't only in a thin coat when you left the house." Oh, yes Roy had noticed Edward only slipped off one layer when he came in earlier.

"It wasn't that cold this morning," Ed mumbled, sounding very sleepy. He was beginning to slip back into a dazed sleep. "At least it didn't feel cold."

"Alright, if you say so." Hands pulled a blanket to his shoulders and another kiss was left on his face by a pair of sneaky lips, but this time their target was the mouth and those lips always hit dead on. "You get some sleep, okay, Love?"

"Mhm 'kay," the sounds barely slipped out of his mouth before he fell back asleep. His sleepiness didn't give him time to process what Roy had called him. The pet name would be something to blush over later, but for now, all he could think about was sleep.

Roy was left to just sit and worry over Edward all night as the boy slept. If it hadn't been for Alphonse, he surely would've went mad during the first few hours. For a thirteen year old, he seemed to know a lot about comforting others and was even capable of make very delicious tea which Roy was extremely grateful for. He always enjoyed a sweet cup of Earl Gray.

* * *

So took me forever to figure out exactly what I wanted to do with this chapter! Finally I figured a little bit of sickness may end up a swell conflict. Thank you for all your support guys. The reviews are sweet and very much appreciated.


	7. Fever Dream

_He was running towards something important. Something he needed. And something very, very blurry. He didn't know what it was but he knew he needed it to be whole._

_It kept escaping him._

_Whatever it was, it was making it hard for him to catch it._

_Finally he felt himself begin to reach it for the first time. The thing he was chasing after was now in his line of vision. What he needed was right in front of him._

_As he got closer and closer to his prize, he began to see distinct features begin to appear on the fuzzed shape. He recognized those chocolate colored eyes. That dark brown hair. That shining and oh so comforting smile that never seemed to falter. "Mom."_

_It was her. It had to be. She was standing right in front of him, only a small distance away. He could reach out and touch her. Hug her. Feel her loving warmth again._

_There was nothing he wanted more than to hug his mother. He missed her and her most amazing hugs. He missed her sweet, soothing voice that had once been able to lull him to sleep. He missed the little mini sandwiches she'd make for him and Al. He even missed the way she'd kiss his cheek in the most embarrassing, mom-like way before sending him to school._

_To see her again, to feel her presence, it made him well up with tears of plain and utter happiness. He had always believed he'd never ever see her again no matter how hard he tried to exceed the laws equivalent exchange._

_She didn't look different, she didn't look even a day older, she still had that smile on her face. His mom had been dead for almost ten years and now she was back and she was right there. Not inches away from where he was standing._

_"Mom," he repeated, reaching out to touch the woman. He was very cautious as if she'd disappear when he came in contact with her. As his fingers got closer, she moved farther away. "Mom?" Soon, he started running again, chasing after a vision. "Mom!" _

_He couldn't catch her. Whenever he got close, she'd move farther and farther away from him. It was like she was a reward he was never meant to have. No matter what he did, there was no way he could obtain a lost life. Even sacrificing his own wouldn't equal out._

_The chase seemed to last forever, but finally, he reached her for the last time. This was the only time Ed was aware of his surroundings. He had noticed he was standing on the dirt path that was right in front of his old home. The house he had grown up in._

_His mother was standing right in front of him, blocking him from going any closer to his childhood home. It was then he heard her speak._

_"Goodbye, Edward." Her head tilted and she smiled lovingly at her dazed and confused son. After only a few seconds, she vanished into the air as if she was never there._

_That's when something else happened as well. The house in front of him burst into bright flames. It looked the same way it did the night he and Al had burned it to the ground._

_Suddenly, tears flooded Ed's eyes and streamed down his face, flooding his cheeks. "No. This is just- no. No. No!" He gritted his teeth against the emotional pain in his chest. He fell to his knees in the dirt, knowing this wasn't real. It couldn't be. "No!"_

Ed woke up startled, dazed, and still very tired. Not knowing he was back in reality, tears began to fall from his golden eyes and he was mumbling incoherent things about what he had seen in his dream. He was on his side on the bed and his face was buried in something nice and warm. He felt as though something were comforting him.

"Shhh," The noise was what snapped Edward halfway out of his dream-like state. That was when he finally noticed a pair of strong arms holding him close and he also realized he was crying into someone's shoulder. "It's okay, Ed. It's alright. Just a nightmare."

"I-I," he wasn't able to make out any words before he choked out another sob and curled in closer to the person's chest. Ed's next words came out shaky. "I-it was so.. so real. sh-she was right there. I could.. I could see her! She was right in front of me!"

"It's okay," He felt a hand stroking his hair very lightly. "It was just a dream. You're okay. I'm right here. You'll be okay."

Ed shook his head, refusing to believe his dream wasn't real but also wanted to know it wasn't. He began to try to wriggle free, but the arms just tightened around him.

"Listen," the speaking mouth was so close to his ear, he could feel the hot breath on his cheek. "It wasn't real. It was just a dream. I promise."

That's when finally he nodded, accepting the fact that he was in reality. This was the real world, not another painful dream. The man who was holding him wasn't a fake image. He was real. As real as it gets.

His touch, his warmth, his scent. It was all real. This was Roy. His Roy. The one he loved and the one he was able to hold.

Sniffling, Ed looked up at the man. "Th-thank you." He smiled weakly, trying to show he believed him now. He believed him and he was fully aware the world around him was real.

They sat there for a moment, silence filling the air around them. Ed felt totally relaxed in Roy's arms and fully intended to stay like this for at least a little while. He was too comfortable to think about moving.

For umpteenth time today, a pair of lips pressed against his forehead, checking for any sign of a fever. "You feel a little bit cooler," Roy sighed while brushing a little bit of hair out of Ed's face. "Not by much though."

"I feel better though," Ed whined, pressing his head against Roy's chest. He knew that Roy wouldn't let him leave this bed until his temperature was back to normal. "I don't even feel sick. Really."

"I don't care," Roy said plainly. He didn't want Ed to get even more sick. "You have to rest until you're better. What you need right now is sleep."

Ed was prepared to argue, but decided instead to preserve that energy for something less pointless. He wasn't going to win this battle and he was a little too weak to really try. "Fine. Whatever. Not like I wanted to do anything anyway."

Roy chuckled softly. "Just get some rest, you little brat." He was glad Ed wasn't in a fighting mood. There was a strong chance that Roy would've gave in after a few minutes of an argument.

Ed made sure to give the man a good glare, "I'm not little." He then just curled back into

Roy, resting his head on the man's shoulder as if it were a great pillow. His eyes slid shut and he gently fell asleep in Roy's arms, smiling as he did so.

* * *

That hadn't been the first of Edward's dreams, but it was the first one that had caused him to wake up. During the others, he would just start mumbling things that were impossible to understand.

Though, the very first one had more troubling that the others. It was late at night and Roy had already got Al to go to bed after telling him -multiple times- that Ed would be fine and that Al had nothing to worry over. After a long while of pouting, Al finally trudged off to the guest bedroom and went to sleep.

Roy had just made a cup of coffee to drink and was leaning against the counter in the kitchen when it happened. He hadn't expected Ed to wake up for a long while, so when he heard a loud voice calling out to someone, he almost dropped his mug.

He instantly recognized the voice and set his drink down carefully, sighing. He had already guessed that this would happen. Fever dreams were common and nightmares were often horrid when your head was hot, it couldn't think clearly. Edward seemed like a kid with a bad past and old memories easily resurfaced.

After a moment the yelling ceased and all was silent. It made Roy worry a bit. The fact that Ed had gone quiet so quickly was odd. Usually the boy like being as loud as he could just to annoy others. He's such a motormouth.

Quickly, Roy went into his bedroom and found a fully asleep, but whimpering, Ed curled in a ball on his bed. The sight was pitiful and Roy wished he could just magically make Ed feel better. Stop the sickness right then and there, but that was impossible. Ed just had to tough through it.

At least Roy could do one thing. He could comfort his bedridden love while the boy slept off the sickness. So, to follow through with this plan, Roy got into pajama-like clothing and laid down next to Ed. He began to lightly brush back the golden hair that fell into Ed's face.

Slowly, the boy subconsciously uncurled from a ball to hug himself to warmth that had appeared. Roy couldn't help but smile and wrap his arms around Edward when he did so. The blondie was just too cute.


End file.
